A Detailed Guide to the Benefits, Effects and Culinary Uses of Glossy Privet Fruit

Glossy privet fruit is the dried, ripe fruit of the glossy privet, a plant in the olive family (Oleaceae). It is usually harvested in winter when the fruit is ripe and dried in the sun before being used as medicine. It is oval or slightly kidney-shaped, with a surface that is mostly grayish-black or purple-black and unevenly wrinkled, and it tastes sweet with a slightly bitter and astringent note. It is a traditional tonic-type Chinese herbal medicine in common use.

In the understanding of traditional Chinese medicine, glossy privet fruit is sweet and bitter in taste and rather cool in nature, and it enters the liver and kidney meridians. It is said to nourish the liver and kidneys, brighten the eyes and darken the hair, and it is often used for dizziness, tinnitus, soreness and weakness of the lower back and knees, premature graying of the hair and beard, and blurred vision caused by liver and kidney deficiency. The classic formula Erzhi Wan is a combination of glossy privet fruit and yerbadetajo herb, and wine-steamed glossy privet fruit is generally considered to soften its cold nature and strengthen its tonic effect.

Everyday use is mainly gentle in approach. A common method is to take a small amount and steep it in water or decoct it and drink it as a tea, and it can also be added, a few grains at a time, when making soup, stewing chicken or cooking congee, used together with goji berries, chrysanthemum flowers, yerbadetajo herb and the like. Some people also grind it into a fine powder and take it mixed with water, or soak it in baijiu to make a medicinal liquor. Whichever method is used, the amount should not be too large, and it is advisable to consult a Chinese medicine practitioner first and adjust the arrangement according to one's own constitution.

It should be noted that glossy privet fruit is rather cool in nature, so people with a weak and cold spleen and stomach who are prone to diarrhea should use it with caution or follow a doctor's advice, and pregnant women and people with chronic diseases should not take it on their own over the long term. When buying, choose plump grains that are black and glossy in color, dry and free of mold; store them in a cool, dry place and take care to protect them from moisture and insects.